Closely following the introduction of computer generated graphic representations of objects, computer games have been developed and have become popular to the point of becoming a significant industry. A significant factor in the continuing popularity of such games may possibly be the fact that the simulated venue or environment in which the game is played is limited only by the imagination of the game developer and can be presented to a viewer on a display with a realistic appearance which is limited only by the hardware and software employed to render associated images. Moreover, such simulated environments and the rules which govern them may be changed, and these changes may be executed dynamically.
Computers connected through networks such as the Internet have also allowed numerous participants to interact among themselves in the same game. As this multi-player game capability is synthesized with other Internet capabilities such as interactive chat rooms, advertising and marketing techniques, access to massive amounts of information, and the like, so-called virtual universes (sometimes referred to as “metaverses” or “3D Internet”) have been developed and made available to the public in recent years. A virtual universe (VU) is a computer-based simulated environment intended for users thereof (referred to as “residents” or “agents”) to inhabit, traverse and interact through the use of Avatars. An Avatar, in the context of a VU, is a graphical representation of a user. The appearance and movement of the Avatar is freely selectable and controllable by the user, and other participants can see the Avatar. The Avatar often takes the form of a cartoon-like human which can move through the regions of the virtual universe. These regions are generated in three dimensional (3D) landscapes and populated by 3D objects, including Avatars. The landscapes and objects shown in the virtual universe may or may not resemble the real world familiar to us, in terms of buildings and other constructed objects within the environment, geography, landscapes and the laws which govern the universe.
Some examples of virtual universes available to the public include Second Life® (“Second Life” is a trademark of Linden Research, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries). Entropia Universe™ (“Entropia Universe” is a trademark of Mindark PE AB in Sweden and/or other countries), and There® (“There” is a trademark of Forterra Systems, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries). Examples of massively multiplayer online games include EverQuest® (“EverQuest” is a trademark of Sony Online Entertainment, LLC in the United States and/or other countries), Ultima Online® (“Ultima Online” is a trademark of Electronic Arts, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries) or World of Warcraft World of Warcraft® (“World of Warcraft” is a trademark of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries). Publicly available virtual universes and/or massively multiplayer online games are operated by persons or companies who provide servers to generate portions of the VU and which may impose a charge for participation as a resident, to establish a particular object or environment (sometimes referred to as an “island”) within the VU, present advertising and the like or combinations thereof.
In short, an Avatar controlled by a resident can interact with other Avatars, objects and portions of the immediate environment of the Avatar in much the same way a person would interact with other persons, objects and portions of the environment in the real world and objects and local environments within the VU may be developed creatively to resemble the real world closely, not at all or with any degree of realism or fantasy in between. These combinations of virtual structures may be provided by the administrator of the VU or users of the VU, often for a not insubstantial fee.
Avatars in virtual worlds can have a wide range of business and social experiences, and such experiences are becoming more important as business and social transactions are becoming common in virtual worlds such as Second Life®. In fact, the characteristics of an Avatar play important social, business, and other related roles in these virtual worlds. Second Life® is a privately owned 3-D virtual world, made publicly available by Linden Research, Inc. The Second Life virtual world is computed and managed by a large array of servers that are owned and maintained by Linden Research, Inc. The Second Life client program provides its users (referred to as residents) with tools to view, navigate, and modify the Second Life®. world and participate in its virtual economy. Second Life has over 1 million residents. Social and business interactions are important in Second Life®, and these interactions include resident interactions in meetings both inside and outside of a commercial environment.
Furthermore, because of the computer implementation, transportation of an Avatar from one portion of the VU directly to another (a process referred to as “teleporting”) may be nearly instantaneous, due allowance being made for latency between a movement decision and the rendering of that movement in the respective portions of the VU. This attribute of direct movement within a VU enables the resident to avoid both the time and expense of traversing the “space” between one VU portion and another, as would be necessary in a non-virtual environment. It should also be noted that rendering in a 3D environment is typically from the perspective of the Avatar of the user, and this perspective must be re-rendered when the user's Avatar moves or turns in a different direction within the same portion of the VU, or when any other Avatar or object within the user's field of view changes. Rendering can absorb considerable processing resources of the computer system on which the VU is implemented.
Virtual Worlds and Universes (terms used interchangeably here and summarized by the acronym “VU”) present a tremendous new outlet for both structured and unstructured forms of virtual collaboration. Furthermore, the term “virtual” is not to be understood as distinct from the term “real world” but rather as a computer implemented set of structures and processes operable for monitoring and activating the structures and processes of the conventional “real world,” and for serving as surrogate structures and processes that, in practical effect, extend the collaborative opportunities of the conventional “real world.” A virtual world can be populated by Avatars, each of which is a virtual representation of the person controlling the Avatar, and where “real world” entities, including commercial and regulatory entities, can be represented by suitable structures and processes (including Avatars) controlled by these entities. Indeed, there is an emerging recognition that the structures and processes of virtual worlds may be used to enhance the structures and processes of the conventional “real world.”
Life-like interaction with avatars and VU environments can be difficult. Verbal and text based information may be exchanged in a VU, yet meaningful communication is often sporadic and incomplete. One major inhibitor to effective avatar communication is the absence of real-time contextual clues (affinities) which enable detection of potential common interest and intent between avatars, and also between avatars and their VU environments. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the foregoing deficiencies and limitations to life-like interaction.